Accelerated Corrosion of a Pedestrian Bridge: Anticipating the Service Environment for Proper Coating System Selection

摘要

Coating failures have many causes, including improper surface preparation and coating application, deficient coating materials, and design flaws, such as incorrect coating system selection. In this "Case from the F-Files," the owner of a pedestrian bridge in the Southeastern coastal region of the U.S. relied upon the recommendation of a coating supplier who did not fully consider the environment and location of the bridge. This failure raised several questions regarding coating system selection. Did the prevailing environment cause the coating to fail prematurely, or were there other circumstances that caused such accelerated deterioration of the coating system? Do all coastal marine environments necessitate the use of an immersion service coating?